Milking installation for cow stables

ABSTRACT

A milking installation for the milking of cows, more or less permanently installed in rows of stalls, wherein milking members to be applied to the teats of the cows are connected or connectible to a milk pipe and a vacuum pipe and supported by a carriage, which is movable along milking stations at each stall, the milking members being movable along guideways on the carriage, so as to remain motionless relatively to the milking stations during milking and to move back from the rear end of the carriage to the forward end for renewed adaptation to the teats of further cows during the motion of the carriage along the row of milking stations. The invention comprises also means to perform most of the movements and connecting and release operations automatically so that the main occupation of an operator is to place the teat cups in position on the udders of the cows. The guideway for the milking members on the carriage can be either a closed endless track, one or more movable chains, etc. or only a return track for the milking members during their motion from the rear end to the forward end of the carriage.

United States Patent J anson et al.

[54] MILKING INSTALLATION FOR COW STABLES [72] Inventors: Stig Janson;Ulf Stig Jamon, both of Ryholms Gods, Moholm, Sweden [22] Filed: Dec.15, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 885,097

[52] US. Cl. ..ll9/l4.ll [51] Int. Cl. ..A01j 05/00, A01 j 09/08 [58]Field of Search ..l l9/l4.l l, 14.03

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,494,138 5/1924 Shippertet a1. ..l19/14.ll 3,402,699 9/1968 Cain ..l l9/14.l1 X

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 138,758 9/ 1950 Australia PrimaryExaminer-l-Iugh R. Chamblee Attorney-Young and Thompson [4 1 Aug. 15,1972 ABSTRACT are connected or connectible to a milk pipe and a vacuumpipe and supported by a carriage, which is movable along milkingstations at each stall, the milking members being movable alongguideways on the carriage, so as to remain motionless relatively to themilking stations during milking and to move back from the rear end ofthe carriage to the forward end for renewed adaptation to the teats offurther cows during the motion of the carriage along the row of milkingstations. The invention comprises also means to perform most of themovements and connecting and release operations automatically so thatthe main occupation of an operator is' to place the teat cups inposition on the udders of the cows. The guideway for the milking memberson the carriage can be either a closed endless track, one or moremovable chains, etc. or only a return track for the milking membersduring their motion from the rear end to the forward end of thecarriage.

6 Claims, 21 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAHB 1 5 H 2 3. 683. 8 56 sum 1 0r 6INVENTORS BY *J/QW Arrys,

PATENTEU I973 3.6 83,858 SHEET 3 [IF 6 INVENTORS 1 MILKING INSTALLATIONFOR COW STABLES This invention relates to a milking installation forstables with milking stations disposed side by side, preferably in theform of stalls, in which the cows are more or less permanently stalled,said milking installa' tion comprising a number of milking members to beapplied to the teats of the cows and connected or connectible to a milkpipe and a vacuum pipe, which milking members are supported by acarriage which is movable along the, milking stations and on which themilking members are movable relatively to the carriage.

Different types of installations made to facilitate the milking of cowsare previously known. One such type implies a pasture feeding system, inwhich the cows are driven together in foldings where they enter arotating disc, on which the milking members are applied and the cows aremilked while the disc rotates one revolution. Thereafter the cows areled away one by one.

Systems based on pasture feeding of this kind have severaldisadvantages, e.g. a lack of sufficiently exact possible control of thefeeding and of the state of health of the cattle.

To avoid the disadvantages of pasture feeding it has been suggested toinstall the cows more or less permanently in stables, and a system basedon the installation of the cows in stalls arranged side by side andlimitedsideways by adjustable beams, has been found especiallyadvantageous. When the cows are to be milked the side limitations of thestalls are adjusted to form a pointed angle with the forward end limitof the.

stall which maintains the cows in an oblique position in which theudders of the cows are easily accessible for applying the milkingmembers.

When the number of cows and thereby thenumber of adjacent stalls andmilking stations is large, certain difficulties arise in obtaining aneffective utilization of the milking installation without simultaneouslymaking the work of the stable staff complicated and ineffective. inknown milking installations of the kind above indicated the workconsists mainly in displacements between the different milking stationsto apply the milking members onto the cows to be milked and to removethe milking members for the milked cows which implies a great amount ofwork for the staff to perform the milking operation.

The object of the present invention is to produce a milking installationof the kind stated above which without large capital investment can beadvantageously used both in smaller and in very large stables and theuse of which results in a high efficiency of the milking staffs work.

In its widest aspect the milking installation according to the inventionis characterized in that in connection with the carriage there is aguideway comprising one or more essentially rectilinear sections alongwhich the milking members can be moved.

Because of the relative motion between the carriage and the milkingmembers the carriage can now perform a stepwise or continuousdisplacement between adjacent milking stations while the milking membersalreadyapplied remain motionless relatively to the cows. The hand-workto be effected at each milking station can thereby be greatly reducedsince the installation in practice is so arranged that simultaneously,as the carriage reaches a new milking station, the milking members willmove to a position in which they simply and easily can be applied to theteats of the cows and the milking process can be immediately begun. Theineffective walking time of the staff between the different milkingstations for fetching the milking members in one station and bring themto a new milking station can thus beessentially reduced or entirelyeliminated.

An especially advantageous embodiment is obtained if the milking membersare movable along a guideway and if this guideway while moving togetherwith the carriage is movable relatively to the carriage and is endlesswith at least two rectilinear sections and two end sections passing overend wheels. Thereby the milking members are so movable relative to thecarriage that they during their displacement on the portion of theguideway facing the milking stations remain mainly motionless at amilking station while they on the opposite side of the guideway movetwice as fast as the carriage.

A milking installation which works best from several points of view isobtained if, according to the invention,. vthe number for milkingmembers and the velocity of the carriage are so adapted to each otherthat the time for moving the carriage along a number of milking stationscorresponding to half the number of milking members and for theconnection of the milking members at each of these milking stationscorresponds ap proximately to the average milking time for a cow orslightly exceeds said time.

It is, however, possible to render a device according to the inventionstill more effective and simultaneously to simplify it so as to permitits economical use even in smaller stables and, if it is used in largerstables, to render it still more advantageous. This is mainly obtainedby letting the' milking members perform a portion of their movementrelative to the carriage while they are disconnected from the milk pipeand vacuum pipes.

Thereby it becomes possible to eliminate all the flexible milk andvacuum hoses which are necessary in the previously described embodimentsfor connecting the milk and vacuum ducts partaking in the movements ofthe carriage with a collector tank for the milk. In large stables with alarge number of milking stations these ducts must have a great'lengthwhich renders the installation more complicated. Compared with the abovementioned embodiments of the invention, an embodimerit in which the milkand vacuum pipes follow with the movements of the carriage in which themilking members move along an endless path having a portion runningparallel with the direction of movement of the carriage and facing themilking stations, and a portion opposite said first portion and equallyparallel with the direction of movement of the carriage, and in which aI central collector tank for the milk and a source of The disconnectingof the milking members can be obtained by means of valves in the milkand vacuum pipes, in which a change of the position of a valve resultsin its closure. The closure of the vacuum valve results in a looseningof the teat cups from the teats of the cow, which effect can be utilizedin its turn to obtain a lifting of the milking member into a transportposition, in which position said members at the end of their transportalong the guideway are easily accessible for the milking operator. Theimpulse for the closure of the valves can be produced in many differentmanners, e.g. mechanically by abutments cooperating with the suspensionmeans of the milking members or thereby that the hoses of the milkingmembers are stretched in connection with the movement of the carriagerelatively to the milking members.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the carriage supports arelatively fixed moving guideway in the form of a rail or the like onwhich the milking members are movably suspended. Chains or like meansfor supporting and transporting the milking members relative to thecarriage can thereby be avoided. Instead the guideway, that is the rail,has a portion running essentially parallel with the moving direction ofthe carriage and having a length essentially corresponding to the lengthof the carriage.

If one prefers to let the milking members move in a closed path alongthe carriage, the guideway, that is the rail, according to anotherembodiment has an essentially rectilinear portion facing the milkingstations and an opposite, essentially rectilinear portion, both theseportions being connected with each other by curved end portions.

A further simplification can be obtained, if the portion of theguideway, on which the disconnected milking members are to move, isinclined in the direction of motion of the carriage. The milking memberswill then under the action of gravity move one by one to the forward endof the carriage where the milking operator is stationed and where themilking members are easily accessible to him.

An embodiment of the invention, in which the car riage is provided withan endless guideway, is characterized in that the portion of theguideway, situated nearest the milking stations, is inclined upwardsfrom the forward to the rearward end of the carriage. When the carriagemoves along the milking stations with the milking members essentiallymotionless with regard to the milking stations, the suspending means forthe milking members will be successively lifted so that when they arefinally disconnected after the milking operation is completed, theyreach their highest position and thereafter on the other side of theguideway can roll down and forward to the fore end of the carriage wherethe milking operator is standing.

Still a further simplification can be obtained if the carriage supportsa preferably hook-shaped portion provided for cooperation with asuspending means for the milking members so mounted that a milkingmember suspended near the carriage at the passage of the hook-shapedportion of the carriage is caught and carried away with the carriage. Inthis case it is appropriate to form said preferably hook-shaped portionof the carriage as a part, preferably as an end portion of the guidewayfor the milking members or to mount it immediately adjacent to saidguideway.

In this embodiment the milking operator lifts off the suspending meansof the milking members from the guideway of the carriage and hangs themup near the path of motion of the guideway. In connection herewith heconnects the hoses of the milking members with the milk and vacuum pipesand adapts the teat cups to the cow. The carriage as well as theguideway can thereby be essentially simplified and the carriage canconsist of standards having rollers mounted at their upper ends andsupporting at their lower ends a sliding track in the form of a numberof tube sections preferably hingedly connected to each other. Said slidetrack can be inclined in the direction of motion of the carriage. Thehook-shaped guideway portion at the rear end of the carriage will, whenthe carriage is moving forward, pick up the suspending member of themilking members, so as to transfer the latter to the guideway, on which,because of its inclination and of the action of gravity, they will moveto the forward end of the carriage, where the milking operator isplaced. The sliding track at its forward end is preferably provided witha stop member, that is a hook, for the milking members.

This device, onto which the milking members are suspended, can consistof a tube mounted'in fixed relation to the stalls adjacent the path ofmotion of the carriage. Said tube bears a suspending hook in front ofeach of the milking stations. This tube is mounted in fixed relation tothe stalls and might possibly consist of the vacuum or the milk pipe. Itis, however, appropriate to make the tube and/or the guideway of thecarriage adjustable in height to permit an adaptation of the cooperatingparts. The carriage should likewise in the cases where it has aninclined guideway have appropriate adjusting members for the adjustmentof the inclination. v

As in the previously described embodiments the carriage shouldpreferably consist of several sections hingedly connected to each other,especially in those cases where the milking stations are formed of rowsof stalls running parallel to each other. The carriage will then like asnake move along both rows of stalls.

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be setforth in the following description of some embodiments thereof withreference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of amilking installation according to the invention in astable forpermanently stabled cows. FIG. 2 is a front view of a portion of theinstallation according to FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the portionillustrated in FIG. 2 seen from section line 33 in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 showsa vertical section along line 44 in FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a plan view of aportion of a modified form of the carriage for a milking installationaccording to the invention. FIG. 6 is a side view of the carriageillustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 shows a vertical section along line 7-7 inFIG. 6. FIG. 8 shows a vertical section through a spring roller box forthe suspension of the milking members of the installation. FIG. 9 and 10are side views of the spring roller box according to FIG. 8 with themilking members in two different positions. FIG. 11 is a diagrammaticside view of a modified carriage for a milking installation in which thecarriage has a single sliding track for the disconnected milkingmembers. FIG. 12 shows a section along line 12-12 in FIG. 11. FIGS. 13to 15 illustrate the function of how the suspension means for a milkingmember are picked up by the carriage of a milking station. FIG. 16 is anelevational view showing a milking station at which'the forward end ofthe carriage according to FIG. 11 has just arrived. FIG. 17 shows a planview of a modified installation according to the invention. FIG. 18shows an enlarged cross section of the installation of FIG. 17. FIG. 19is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing a modified construction. FIGS.20 and 21 are respectively elevational and fragmentary cross-sectionalviews similar to FIGS. 8-10 but showing a modified construction.

In the drawings number 1 refers to several adjacent stalls in a stablefor permanent keeping of cows. Each stall is limited by side beams 2,which are rotatable about vertical axes 3 from a position in which theyform right angles with the forward limit 4 of the stall to an inclinedposition towards said limit so that the cows in the latter position willbe maintained in an oblique position facilitating the adaption of theteat cups of the milking members onto the udders of the cows. Numeral 5in FIG. 1 designates a fodder-board placed in front of the row ofstalls.

A carriage 6 is movable along the row of stalls or milking stations,which carriage consists of a number of hingedly interconnected sections7, which in the illustrated example are eight in number. Each of saidsections serves to support the milking members which consist of teatcups 10 connected by flexible hoses ll, 12,.

to a milk pipe 13 and to a vacuum pipe 14, respectively. The line 14 isin any suitable known way connected to a source of vacuum pressure andthe milk line 13 is also in any suitable known way connected to a milktank, as by flexible conduits 14 and 13, respectively, of suitablelength. Each cluster of milking members has its own pulsator means.

In the embodiment illustrated the carriage 6 is movable along a rail 17suspended in the roof of the stables. Each of the sections 7 has forthis purpose an upper wheel running on said rail 17. Each section hasfurther lower wheels 9 over which chains 18 are running. On these chainsare mounted spaced holders 20 for the milking members 10-14. Eachsection supports further upper wheels 21 over which chains 29 arerunning which by means of holders 22 support suspending lines 23 for theteat cups 10. The upper holders serve the purpose to support the milkingmembers when the teat cups are removed from the udders of the cows sothat the teat cups are not soiled when disconnected. Such adisconnection can in a manner known per se be effected automaticallyafter the end of the milking process by temporarily cutting off thevacuum in the vacuum pipe of the milking member. The suspending lines 23can for instance cooperate with spring roller boxes 24 which haveapproximately the same function as the springs of roller blinds. Whenthe teat cups after finishing the milking operation fall off the teatsof a cow, they are hoisted by means of the spring boxes 24 to theposition illustrated in mixed lines in FIG. 4, in which the risk ofsoiling during the continued movement to a new milking station isavoided.

The two outermost sections of the carriage support vertical axes 25, 26for end wheels 27, 28 around which chains 18, 29 are running which formthe endless guideway. Since the milking members are moving relatively tothe carriage in the manner above indicated,

they can during the progressive motion of the carriage along the row ofmilking stations remain motionless on one side of the guideway whilethey are moving with twice the speed of the carriage on the other side.When the carriage reaches a new milking station there will always he anew milking member that has been forwarded to a position in which theteat cups simply and easily can be fastened to the teats of a cowstanding at the actual milking station.

The average time for milking a cow is approximately 4.5 minutes and thenumber of sections and therefore the number of milking members as wellas the velocity of the carriage are chosen in such a manner that thetime necessary to connect half the number of milking members, i.e. thosesituated on the side of the endless guideway turned towards the stalls,corresponds to the average milking time. When according to the exampleillustrated the eight milking members have been connected, a time of 4.5minutes has elapsed and the milking member first connected can bedisconnected and upon continued motion of the carriage move along theside of the guideway opposite the milking stations until seven furthermilking members have been connected, at which moment the first milkingmember has reached the easily accessible position for renewedconnection.

The carriage 6 can be moved manually, e.g. by means of winches 29' orthe like or, if desired, be moved along the stalls by means of a motor(not shown). The first section of the carriage can vbe provided with aseat 30' for the operator, who then rides with the carriage and insitting position performs the adaption of the teat cups. This embodimentis indicated in FIG. 1.

Different additional means can be mounted at the working station of theoperator, e.g. means for preparing one or morecows in one or more ofadjacent stalls for the impending milking operation. Shower means 31 canthus be provided for spraying and washing the udders of the cows and anozzle 32 for blowing warm air for drying the udders.

Depending on the different requirements in different stables a differentnumber of sections 7 can be coupled together to form a carriage 6 ofappropriate length.

A member, e.g. a pin 33, can be used to engage the control means of thevalves for each of the actual milk ing members so that the teat cups 10are released. This member 33 can be provided near the end cylinder 27 atthe rear end of the carriage.

According to the embodiment of FIGS. 5-7 the carriage 6 is movable alonga rail 17 suspended in the roof of the stable. Each of the sections 7has for this purpose two upper wheels 8 running on the rail 17. Eachsection has further a guideway in the form. of a rail 9 which canconsist of supporting beams or appropriate means. The guideway has apart thereof which runs parallel with the direction of movement of thecarriage situated near the milking stations and an opposite part. Theguideway is supported by supporting brackets 7b extending obliquelydownwards from a central frame beam 7a. As shown in FIG. 6 the guidewayis inclined downwards in the direction of motion of the carriage. Thesupporting members of the milking members which will be described morein detail further on, can thus under the action of gravity move towardsthe forward end of the carriage where the milking hoses of the milkingmembers are disconnected from the vacuum and milk pipes and the teatcups are released from the udders of the cows.

Further the milking members, which members are connected by the operatorsitting at the forward end of the carriage, will successively be hoistedsince they remain motionless in the horizontal direction relatively tothe milking stations when the carriage with its inclined guideway parts9 is moving forwards and thereby is lifting them vertically.

When the carriage has moved so far forwards in relation to a milkingmember that the latter is at the rear end of the carriage where theguideway 9 goes over into a hook-shaped end portion 9a, appropriatemember, e.g. the pin member 33, are provided to close a valve in aconnection of the vacuum pipe 14, to which the vacuum hose 12 isconnected, whereby the teat cups are released from the udder and thehoses l1 and 12 are removed form their respective hose connections. Theaverage time for milking a cow is, as already mentioned, about 4.5minutes and the number of sections 7 of the carriage 6 and the movingspeed of the carriage are adapted in such manner that it takes about theabove said time to connect as many milking members as there are on theside of the endless guideway turned towards the milking stations. If thecarriage e.g. has eight sections, a time of 4.5 minutes has elapseduntil the eight milking members have been connected at which time thefirst milking member in a manner indicated above is released uponcontinued movement of the carriage e.g. by motor 30 (FIG. .6) and isdisconnected from the milk and vacuum pipes and will move along the partof the guideway turned away from the milking stations which movement bybeing produced under the action of gravity can be so fast that themilking member in question nearly immediately can be reused for a newconnecting operation.

The carriage 6 is driven continuously or stepwise along the stalls bymeans of a motor 30 (FIG. 6), but can also be moved manually e.g. bymeans of a winch, a pulling chain or the like.

FIGS. 8-10 show an embodiment of a suspending device for the milkingmembers 10, 11, 12 which device is movable along the guideway 9 andconsists of a roller spring box 24 with a suspending member 22 withrollers 22a and a suspension line 23 for the milking member. The springroller box consists of an outer cylinder 34, within which an innercylinder 36 is movable under the action of a spring 35. The movements ofthe inner cylinder under the action of the spring 35 are limited by astop member 37 with an operating pin 37a passing through the wall of thecylinder 34 to the outside thereof. The suspension line 23 passesthrough an end wall 34a of the outer cylinder and is wound on a systemof pulleys 38, 39 mounted into and between the two cylinders 34, 36. Thestop member 37 is operable by a cam 40 or the like on the rear part ofthe carriage.

When the stop member 37 is released the inner cylinder 36 is movedtowards the end wall 34a of the outer cylinder which produces thewinding in of the line 23 and lifts the milking members into a transportposition shown in FIG. 5. In order to fit the teat cups onto the cowafter the spring roller box 24 has moved to the forward end of thecarriage the milking operator pulls the line 23 out whereby the springroller box is restored to the position illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 10.

Instead of forming the guideway 9 with an inclination downwards anappropriate driving means can be used to move the spring boxes and themilking members from the rear end of the carriage to its forward end.FIGS. 11 and 12 show diagrammatically a further simplified embodiment ofthe milking installation in which the sections 7 of the carriage 6comprise vertical tubes or standards 7c which at their upper end areprovided with rollers 8, which like before can move along a rail 17suspended at the roof of the stables. The standards 7c support at theirlower part a sliding track 9b which is inclined downwards in the movingdirection of the carriage and which is placed essentially straight belowthe rail 17. In this embodiment the carriage thus does not support anendless guideway but only a sliding track extending from the forward endof the carriage to its rear end. At the ends the sliding track 9b passesover in hook-shaped portions and 9d, the purpose of which will beexplained later on.

When the milking operator, placed at the forward end of the carriage 6shall adapt the teat cups on a cow at one of the milking stations helifts the spring roller box 24 from the carriage and hangs the same upon a suspending hook 41 which is fixedly mounted onto a tube 42 runningalong the path of motion of the carriage. The spring box hangs thereduring the time of 4.5 minutes necessary for the performance of themilking operation and for the entire carriage to pass the milkingstation. FIGS. 13 to 15 illustrate how the hook shaped end portion 90 ofthe sliding track moving together with the carriage grips around thesuspending member 22 of the spring roller box 24 so that the latter isdisengaged from the suspending hook 41 and falls down onto the inclinedportion 9b of the track. While the carriage and said track portion 9bare moving forwards, the spring roller box will slide with anappropriate-speed along the track portion to the forward end of thecarriage where the milking member connected to the spring roller boxwill be ready to be used anew. The bent forward end portion 9d of thetrack serves to stop the movement of the spring roller box relatively tothe carriage.

FIGS. 17 to 21 show a modification of the embodiment of FIGS. 11 to 16.The milking installation is here intended for use in a stable with twoparallel rows of stalls for which reason the rail 17 suspended in theroof has a bent end portion 17a on which the carriage 6 passes on itstravel along the stall rows. The spring boxes 24 of the milking membersare adapted for being hung up on suspending hooks 41a of reversedS-shape extending obliquely between the parts of the guideway. Theseparts are suspended in supporting links 42a which are mounted in theroof and which can be hoisted or lowered. The rear portion of thecarriage has a pulling member 90 which transfers the spring roller boxesone by one to the inclined guideway 9 on the carriage 6 where said boxesroll forwards to the fore end of the carriage for renewed utilization. Acatch 9d prevents the spring roller boxes from rolling off the carriage.The pulling member 90 serves simultaneously as a catch releaser for thespring roller boxes which, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, have a modifiedform compared with that of FIG. 8. The pulling member 9c actuates thelever 37b whereby the catch member. 370 releases an abutment 36a mountedonto the inner cylinder 36 so that the latter can move along a slot 24and the cylinder 36 thereby can move downwards for winding in the line23. A locking member 37d permits the correct return to the initialposition when the spring box is again hung up on a suspending hook 41aby the milking operator. Since the carriage 6 consists of bingedlyinterconnected sections it can follow around the bent guideway portions17a.

The portion of the carriage 6 combined with the guideway 9b isadjustable in height relative to the carriage portion supporting therollers 8 by means of a screw nut 45, 46.

Several modifications are possible within the scope of the invention asabove described and defined in the claims.

What we claim is:

l. A milking installation comprising a milking stable having a line ofmilking stations for cows arranged side by side, a number of milkingmembers attachable to the cows, an endless flexible milk pipe and anendless flexible vacuum pipe to which said members are connected, saidmilk pipe and said vacuum pipe being adapted to be connected to a milktank and a source of vacuum, respectively, a carriage conjointlysupporting all said members, means mounting said carriage for movementalong the milking stations, the milking members being movable relativeto the carriage, and a guideway supported by the carriage and supportingthe milk pipe and the vacuum pipe for circulation in an endless pathrelative to the carriage, said endless path having at least onesubstantially rectilinear section parallel to said line of milkingstalls.

2. A milking installation according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe guideway comprises at least two rectilinear sections and at leasttwo guideway sections running over end wheels to form an endlessguideway which is movable relatively to the carriage.

3. A milking installation according to claim 2 in which the milkingmembers are so movable relatively to the carriage that they during theirmovement along the side of the guideway facing the milking stationsremain essentially motionless relatively to the milking stations whilethey are moving about twice as fast as the carriage on the opposite sideof the guideway, characterized in that the number of milking members andthe displacement speed of the carriage are so adapted that the time forthe displacement of the carriage along a number of milking stationscorresponding to half the number of milking members and for thepositioning of the milking members at each of said milking stations isessentially equal to or slightly longer than the average milking timefor a cow.

4. A milking installation. according to claim 2, characterized in thatthe carriage consists of a number of sections provided with wheels orrollers over which are running members such as chains which form theguideway and which support supporting members for the milking members.

5. A milking installation according to claim 4, characterized in thatthe end wheels of the guideway are mounted on the two outermost sectionsof the car riage.

6. A milking installation according to claim 4, characterized by membersmaintaining the milking members in a lifted position when they are notapplied for milking.

1. A milking installation comprising a milking stable having a line ofmilking stations for cows arranged side by side, a number of milkingmembers attachable to the cows, an endless flexible milk pipe and anendless flexible vacuum pipe to which said members are connected, saidmilk pipe and said vacuum pipe being adapted to be connected to a milktank and a source of vacuum, respectively, a carriage conjointlysupporting all said members, means mounting said carriage for movementalong the milking stations, the milking members being movable relativeto the carriage, and a guideway supported by the carriage and supportingthe milk pipe and the vacuum pipe for circulation in an endless pathrelative to the carriage, said endless path having at least onesubstantially rectilinear section parallel to said line of milkingstalls.
 2. A milking installation according to claim 1, characterized inthat the guideway comprises at least two rectilinear sections and atleast two guideway sections running over end wheels to form an endlessguideway which is movable relatively to the carriage.
 3. A milkinginstallation according to claim 2 in which the milking members are somovable relatively to the carriage that they during their movement alongthe side of the guideway facing the milking stations remain essentiallymotionless relatively to the milking stations while they are movingabout twice as fast as the carriage on the opposite side of theguideway, characterized in that the number of milking members and thedisplacement speed of the carriage are so adapted that the time for thedisplacement of the carriage along a number of milking stationscorresponding to half the number of milking members and for thepositioning of the milking members at each of said milking stations isessentially equal to or slightly longer than the average milking timefor a cow.
 4. A milking installation according to claim 2, characterizedin that the carriage consists of a number of sections provided withwheels or rollers over which are running members such as chains whichform the guideway and which support supporting members for the milkingmembers.
 5. A milking installation according to claim 4, characterizedin that the end wheels of the guideway are mounted on the two outermoStsections of the carriage.
 6. A milking installation according to claim4, characterized by members maintaining the milking members in a liftedposition when they are not applied for milking.